Quantifying Paleoproductivity from Biomass Estimates of Epifaunal Suspension Feeders: A Test of the Productivity Hypothesis in Latest Pliocene Tropical America

0000495 Kirby，M PI将通过分析新近纪和第四纪双壳类（如巴拿马和哥斯达黎加的栉孔扇贝、牡蛎、chamid和arcids）的生物量增长来检验上新世晚期美洲热带地区浮游生物生产力下降的假设。 每一个分类群的上新世-更新世边界生物量增长的减少与生产力的下降是一致的。 此外，对来自上升流区（具有较高的浮游生产力）的活表生底栖双壳类生物量增长的分析将加快生物量增长。 对化石悬浮食性动物生物量的估算可以作为过去浮游生产力的一个相对量度。

0000495Kirby, MThe PI will test the hypothesis that planktonic productivity decreased in the latest Pliocene in tropical America by analyzing biomass growth in Neogene and Quaternary bivalves, such as pectenids, oysters, chamids, and arcids from Panama and Costa Rica. A decrease in biomass growth across the Plio-Pleistocene boundary for each taxon would be consistent with a drop in productivity. In addition, analysis of biomass growth in living epifaunal bivalves from upwelling areas (with higher planktonic productivity) will faster biomass growth. The estimation of biomass in fossil suspension feeders may be used as a relative measure for the amount of planktonic productivity in the past.